Zolnierczyk ready for return with Flyers

WINNIPEG, Manitoba –- He took an early flight from Albany to Minneapolis to The Peg, but Harry Zolnierczyk arrived in plenty of time for Tuesday’s game against the Jets.

“It’s huge,” Zolnierczyk said of his latest opportunity. “You’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities.”

He’s here because Sean Couturier was sent home with the flu. To make roster space for him, Jody Shelley, a healthy scratch for nine straight games, was placed on injured reserve with a hip injury (see story).

There were various tweets out of Columbus suggesting Shelley might be headed back there by week’s end.

Harry Z is no stranger to callups. He’s been through this many times before. There’s a real log jam of NHL floaters in the organization such as himself, Tye McGinn, Eric Wellwood -- you get the picture.

What he has that the Flyers lacked on Monday is speed. What he needs to bring and really hasn’t in the past is goal scoring, even though he’s recorded nine goals with eight assists for 17 points in 46 games with the Phantoms this year.

The Flyers have just 31 goals in 13 games this season.

“It’s a little unusual because they have a lot of firepower,” Zolnierczyk said. “It’s just the way it is going right now. At any point, that could change. Things start clicking and goals start falling.”

He scored three goals in 37 games with the Flyers last season.

“Harry is what he is and we like him,” assistant general manager John Paddock said in September. “He came out and played the same kind of game we envisioned for him from college -- speed and energy. He scored more in college, but he is asked to do something different with us.”